The present invention relates to a clamped connection and more especially to a clamped connection between two parts, one having a flanged portion and the other having an edge section designed to be deformed into positive locking contact with the flanged portion.
Different connections of the above-mentioned type, so-called flanged joints, are known wherein the deformable edge section of the bottom positively grips the flange (e.g., French Pat. No. 1,039,911; German Gebrauchsmuster No. 74 14 340), but such connections are not highly suitable for repair purposes because, while they are releasable, they cannot be subsequently refastened. On the other hand, releasable connections are also known, for example, the slotted joint for a water cooler according to German Offenlegungsschrift No. 27 03 528. In this disclosure, the flange of the water box has locking elements with spring action, and the enveloped tube plate has corresponding recesses to receive the engagement of the locking members. Such a joint, however, involves, on the one hand, a relatively complex flange area and, on the other hand, a less than favorable state of stress of the flange, because of the interrupted, diminished cross section and as the result of bending forces.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 3,399,916 discloses a snap connection for structural elements, wherein springingly designed bulges of one of the structural elements lock into corresponding recesses of the other element, when the elements are joined together. This snap or locking connection, however, does not provide a tight connection with the use of a deformable packing and is thus not of the same type as the connection according to the invention. Furthermore, such locking connections, because of their elastic deformation as opposed to a plastic deformation, provided only a relatively weak positive joint, i.e., a slight amount of overlap of the two parts, which results in a low degree of safety for the joint.